Game Maker's Notebook
Science & Ideas
About
A game dev podcast featuring in-depth conversations between video game makers on the business and craft of interactive entertainment.
Episodes
- How Mixtape Tells a Coming of Age Story via Music with Johnny Galvatron
Adam Orth interviews Johnny Galvatron about his game Mixtape. They discuss how the coming of age story was built around its music soundtrack, the selection of tracks, and the creation of characters and their mechanics.
- Re-release: Bioshock Creator Ken Levine on Judas, Writing and Narrative in Games
In this re-released episode, Ken Levine discusses his career in game writing, including his work on Bioshock and the upcoming game Judas. He also shares insights on narrative design, the role of AI in games, and handling pressure after suc…
- Re-release: Before Your Eyes with Oliver Lewin and Graham Parkes
This episode of Game Maker's Notebook features Oliver Lewin and Graham Parkes, developers of Before Your Eyes. They discuss the game's unique blinking mechanic, development challenges, and its critical acclaim, award-winning reception.
- Re-release: The History of Dwarf Fortress with Zach and Tarn Adams
This episode of Game Maker's Notebook features Tarn and Zach Adams, creators of Dwarf Fortress. They discuss their 20-year journey, early inspirations, development, community milestones, and collaboration with Kitfox Games.
- The Sounds of ARC Raiders with Audio Director Bence Pajor
Bence Pajor, Audio Director for Embark Studios, joins Austin Wintory on Game Maker's Notebook to discuss his career transition from music to audio design, his work on the Battlefield series, and the audio design principles behind the game…
- Jenny Jiao Hsia Shares The Story Of Her Life In CONSUME ME
Jenny Jiao Hsia, co-director of Consume Me, talks about the inspirations and challenges behind developing the game. She discusses semi-autobiographical storytelling, team collaboration, the impact of personal finances on creativity, and th…
- Arc Raiders Design Director Virgil Watkins
Adam Orth interviews Virgil Watkins, Design Director for Arc Raiders. They discuss Watkins' journey into game development, the evolution of Arc Raiders from a PvE to a PvPvE game, and ongoing strategies for improvement and balancing gamepl…
- Ben Starr on Acting and the State of the Games Industry
Ben Starr discusses his acting roles in games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Date Everything! He also shares his observations on authenticity and challenges within the game development industry.
- Battlefield 6 Creative Director Thomas Andersson
Thomas Andersson, Creative Director for Battlefield 6, discusses his career trajectory in the games industry, the process of leading a large development team, and the design and technical challenges involved in creating a Battlefield title…
- The State of Games Writing with Writer & Narrative Director Cara Ellison
Karrie Shao interviews writer and narrative designer Cara Ellison. They discuss her career in games, the global development scene, and her work on the VR title Ghost Town.
- Cory Davis (Spec Ops: The Line) & Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails) on Psychedelic Horror in SLEEP AWAKE
Adam Orth chats with Cory Davis and Robin Finck about their debut game, SLEEP AWAKE. They discuss its psychedelic horror themes and their unique audio-first approach.
- The Audio Experience of Ghost of Yotei with Rev. Dr. Bradley D. Meyer
Austin Wintory and Rev. Dr. Bradley D. Meyer discuss Meyer's path to gaming and Sucker Punch Productions. They talk about audio design for Ghost of Yotei, the marriage of audio and music in large projects, and balancing the score between J…
- Talking Game Maker's Sketchbook with Double Fine's Tim Schafer
Tim Schafer, Jon Gibson, Meggan Scavio, and Sibel Sunar discuss the Game Maker's Sketchbook. They cover its history, goals, and the charities it supports, including the AIAS Foundation and Day of the Devs.
- Abiotic Factor with Geoff "Zag" Keene and Henry Feltham
Corey May interviews Geoff "Zag" Keene and Henry Feltham of Deep Field Games, developers of Abiotic Factor. They discuss game development challenges, narrative design, and their approach to the survival genre.
- History of the Anno series with Creative Director Manuel Reinher
Manuel Reinher, Creative Director, discusses his work in the Anno series, detailing challenges in historical strategy game development, the depiction of the Roman Empire in Anno 117: Pax Romana, and game design considerations.
- Narrative Design in DISPATCH with Director Nick Herman
Alexa Ray Corriea interviews Nick Herman, Director at Adhoc Studio, about narrative design in their debut title, DISPATCH. They discuss funding narrative-based games, approaching the superhero genre, player choice, player testing, and the…
- Double Fine's Lee Petty talks Keeper and Creative Leadership
Trent Kusters interviews Lee Petty, Creative Director at Double Fine, about the game Keeper. They explore the creative process behind its unique features like anthropomorphizing a lighthouse, avoiding dialogue, and the role of silence and…
- SILENT HILL f Director Al Yang on Creating an All-New Chapter in the Legendary Horror Franchise
Jun Shen Chia chats with SILENT HILL f game director Al Yang of Neobards Entertainment . Together they discuss how Neobards collaborated with Konami and famed Japanese writer Ryukishi07 on creating the newest chapter in the Silent Hill ser…
- Making THE OUTER WORLDS 2 with Obsidian's Brandon Adler and Kyle Koenig
Adam Orth discusses The Outer Worlds 2 with Obsidian's Brandon Adler and Kyle Koenig. They cover lessons learned from the first game, implementing comedy and narrative, cut ideas, and future franchise plans.
- Becoming the Ghost of Yōtei with Erika Ishii
Erika Ishii discusses her role as Atsu in 'Ghost of Yōtei' with Alexa Ray Corriea. They cover Ishii's acting career in video games, her experience with Sucker Punch, and the importance of early cast involvement and teamwork in game develop…
- The Challenges of Game Localization, Writing and Recording with Shloc
Alexa Ray Corriea interviews Oli Chance and Morgan Rushton of Shloc Ltd. about their experiences in game localization, including working on major titles, translating cultural nuances, and collaborating with actors and directors.
- Absolum - Dotemu's Path From Licensed Games to Original IP
This episode features Trent Kusters interviewing Dotemu CEO, Cyrille Imbert. They explore Dotemu's journey with licensed games, their role in reviving the beat 'em up genre, and the creation of their original IP, Absolum.
- From "Katamari Damacy" Through "to a T" with Keita Takahashi
Keita Takahashi, creator of Katamari Damacy, discusses his transition from sculpting to game development, the creation of his iconic games, and his philosophy on crafting unique gaming experiences. He also touches on the intended impact of…
- Obsidian's Josh Sawyer's Thoughts on Creating Engaging RPGs
Alexa Ray Corriea talks with Josh Sawyer from Obsidian Entertainment about RPG development, lessons from Black Isle Studios, adapting Dungeons & Dragons, writing dialogue, and balancing player experience.
- The Development World of RPGs with Jeff Gardiner
Adam Orth interviews Jeff Gardiner about his extensive background in RPG development, covering his experiences with major titles, establishing his own studio, and observations on the challenges within the current games industry.
- Games Writing with Lis Moberly, Creative Lead @ 20th Century Games
Alexa Ray Corriea interviews Lis Moberly, Creative Lead at 20th Century Games, discussing the evolving game development landscape, challenges for junior writers, the significance of institutional knowledge, and the benefits of collaboratin…
- From Used Car Salesman to Indie Game Publisher: The New Blood Story
Trent Kusters interviews Dave Oshry of New Blood Interactive about his transition from games journalism to publishing. They cover PC publishing, the 'boomer shooter' genre, creator compensation, and New Blood's success.
- How to Pitch Game Projects to Publishers with Focus Entertainment's Yves Le Yaouanq
Adam Orth interviews Yves Le Yaouanq, Chief Content Officer at Focus Entertainment. They discuss Le Yaouanq's career, the importance of content quality in games, and his advice for developers pitching projects to publishers.
- How Ready or Not Creates Tension Behind Every Door
Trent Kusters hosts Sean Gorman and Mark Ranson from Void Interactive to discuss their game Ready or Not. They explore the game's design philosophy, balancing realism and tension, and their development lessons.
- Escape From Tarkov and the Creation of Extraction Shooters with Nikita Buyanov
Trent Kusters interviews Nikita Buyanov, COO, Founder, and Game Director at Battlestate Games, about the creation of Escape From Tarkov and the extraction shooter genre. They discuss game development, artistic vision, community feedback, a…
- Creating a Modern but Retro Immersive Sim in Skin Deep
Trent Kusters talks with Brendon Chung, Tynan Wales, and Suzanne Will about their game Skin Deep. The discussion covers the game's inspiration, evolution, accessibility features, level design, content decisions, and managing scope and team…
- The Many Roles of Actor Alex Jordan on The Alters
Actor Alex Jordan discusses his experience in the sci-fi survival game The Alters with host Alexa Ray Corriea. They cover his acting career, the challenges of portraying clones, and developing distinct voices for each character.
- Creating the Music for Doom: The Dark Ages with Composer Duo, Finishing Move
Austin Wintory interviews music composers Brian Trifon and Brian Lee White of Finishing Move Inc. They discuss their journey into game scoring, the benefits of collaboration, and how they developed the unique sound for Doom: The Dark Ages,…
- How Ray Chase went from Actor to Game Developer with Date Everything
Alexa Ray Corriea interviews actor Ray Chase about his transition into game development with his project 'Date Everything.' They explore the game's concept of dating household objects, the challenges of writing dialogue for numerous charac…
- How Moonhood Handcrafted The Midnight Walk with Real Claymation
Game Maker's Notebook features Trent Kusters interviewing Klaus Lyngeled and Olov Redmalm of Moonhood about their handcrafted cozy horror game, The Midnight Walk. They discuss their careers, development process including creating real clay…
- How Two Studios Brought LEGO Horizon Adventures to Life
This episode features Trent Kusters interviewing Stéphane Varrault and Xu Xiaojun about their collaboration on LEGO® Horizon Adventures. They discuss adapting the game for younger players, focusing on problem-solving, and translating the L…
- Uncovering the Secrets Behind Bionic Bay with Creator Juhana Myllys
Adam Orth interviews Juhana Myllys, creator of Bionic Bay, discussing idea generation, inspiration, early designs, core gameplay mechanics including the swap mechanic, and the game's visual language.
- Creating the Music for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with Composer Lorien Testard
Austin Wintory interviews Lorien Testard, composer for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. They discuss Testard's background, collaboration with singer Alice Duport-Percier, and the process of creating a diverse yet unified soundtrack.
- Exploring Wartales with Shiro Games' CEO Nicolas Cannasse
Trent Kusters interviews Nicolas Cannasse, CEO of Shiro Games, about his career in game development, founding studios, creating the Haxe programming language, and directing titles like Evoland, Northgard, and Wartales. They also discuss DL…
- XCOM Creator Julian Gollop Shares Game Design Tips, Dev Stories and More
In this episode of Game Maker's Notebook, host Trent Kusters interviews XCOM creator Julian Gollop. They discuss Gollop's design journey, from the original XCOM to his latest game, and delve into game design principles like constraint, fea…
- How Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Epic Story was Crafted with Jennifer Svedberg-Yen
Host Alexa Ray Corriea talks with Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, lead writer for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. They explore her transition into game writing, the evolution of the game's world and characters, themes of loss, romance writing, and the…
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II with Lead Designer Prokop Jirsa
Trent Kusters interviews Prokop Jirsa, Lead Designer for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. They discuss the game's design principles, emergent gameplay, quest structure, player choice impact, and the role of Czech culture.
- Writing the Mythos of South of Midnight with Zaire Lanier and Dani Dee
Writers Dani Dee and Zaire Lanier discuss their roles in creating the mythos for South of Midnight with Alexa Ray Corriea. They delve into their career paths, the game's authentic portrayal of American Deep South folklore, and the writing…
- Expedition 33 with Maelle Actor Jennifer English
In the Game Maker's Notebook, Alexa Ray Corriea talks with actor Jennifer English about her career, including roles in Elden Ring and Baldur's Gate III. They explore her transition from classical theater, her experience playing Maelle in E…
- Navigating the Shifting Corridors of BLUE PRINCE with Creator Tonda Ros
Trent Kusters interviews Tonda Ros, creator of the game Blue Prince. They discuss Ros's transition from film to game development, the resources used, team dynamics, and the impact of board games on Blue Prince's design.
- How 3 Brothers Started a Game Studio - Butterscotch Shenanigans
Trent Kusters interviews brothers Adam and Seth Coster about founding Butterscotch Shenanigans. They discuss their journey, overcoming challenges like Sam's cancer diagnosis, marketing strategies for indie studios, and their development pr…
- Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel talks World Building and Narrative Design
Carrie Patel, Game Director for Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed, shares insights with Alexa Ray Corriea on expanding the Pillars of Eternity universe, transitioning gameplay to first-person, and crafting memorable companions.
- From Dragon Age to Eternal Strands with Mike Laidlaw
Mike Laidlaw discusses his career in role-playing game development, including his work on Dragon Age and the creation of Eternal Strands with Yellow Brick Games, focusing on combat, world design, and project completion.
- Creating the Super Earth of Helldivers 2 with Arrowhead's Johan Pilestedt
Trent Kusters interviews Johan Pilestedt, Game Director at Arrowhead Game Studios, about the founding of the studio, the development of Helldivers 2, and game design principles. The discussion covers the game's 7-year development journey.
- Becoming Indiana Jones with Troy Baker
Actor Troy Baker discusses his award-winning performance as Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle with Alexa Ray Corriea. They cover challenges in playing an iconic character and lessons learned from past projects.